Bottle stopper



'Patented May 27, 192.0

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD H. ELLIOTT, 0l' GLENCOE, ILLIlN'OIS, .ASSIGNOR TO HALSAE TROIDUGIS COM- c PANY, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OE ILLINOIS :BOTTLE srorrim i `Application led Itebrualy, 1928. Seri'al No. 251,824.

My invention relates to bottle Stoppers and particularly to that type of stopper comprising a cork'or equivalent part and a head or top of greater diameter secured thereto for improving the appearance of the stopper and for affording means for gripping it for removal from the bottle. .It is the object of my invention to provide a new and improved form and arrangement in devices of this type whereby the top or head member may be more securely held in position on the cork.

In the production of devices of this type heretofore, the head or top members in the form of discs of straight grained wood have been vwaxed and then subjected to very heavy pressure both axially and radially, such pressures serving to close up the grain of the wood as well as to shape the disc. Such heavy pres-l sures in both directions have resulted in lso great an increase in the density and resiliency of the whole body of the wood constituting the disc as to discourage the formation of a socket of any considerable depth in the face of the member for receiving the cork in centered position therein, and has made doubly diliicult the production of still deeper indentations of a permanent character in the face of the disc inside of the socket. In such cases, ithas been found to4 be almost impossible or at least impractical to impress such auxiliary Aimlentations to such a depthas to expose and to leave exposed unwaxed surfaces of wood at the sides of the indentations to such an extent as to be of any material value for increasing the adhesion of the glue with respect to the head or top. l

It is the obiect of my invention to provide a new construction by which the upper end of i' the cork is, for a portion or portions of the distance about the cork. in close proximity to unwaxed portions of the side wall of a centering socket so that only a thin film of glue shall be present between the cork and the side wall for insuring {irm adhesion, and bv which at another portion or other portions the unwaxed side wall of the socket is slighth7 farther removed from the face ofthe cork for providing at such points reinforcements of hardened glue in the form of ribs proiecting outwardly a very short distance from the face of the cork and serving as keys for resisting any tendency of the head or topy member to turn with respect to the cork. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide such reinforcing ribs or keys of hardened glue in the completed stopper by the provision of suitable irregularities in the side Wall of the single depression forming the socket for the cork, such irregularities being readilyl provided in the side wall of the socket to the desired depth for effectiveness by the use of a correspondingly shaped die, by reason lof the fact that such irregularities extend to the full depth of the compression for formin socket, and by reason of the fact that eavy pressure has not otherwise been applied to thewood axially and radially thereof. l

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred` means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. What I consider as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claims.

In the drawing,- Fig. 1 is a bottom face view of -my improved topy or head member;

Fig. 2 is a vertical line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a completed stopper embodying my invention; A

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through the completed device of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are views similar to Fig. 1 but\showing modified forms of construction.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, in

cross section taken at which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters,10 indicates a disc of wood, preferably of straight grain, with the grain running axially, the disc shown being in the form of a short cylinder. In the production of the disc 10, it is prepared originally in the form of a long circular bar of wood, beingsawed crosswise by any suitable means to provide the desired preliminary thickness of the disc. The disc is then stained, ordinarily, and is thereafter waxed over its entire surface, after which the lao

it maybe polishedito a limited extent by a tumbling process. if desired. Following the' Waxing, the disc is fed between suitable dies to which comparatively heavy pressure is applied serving to compress the Wood axially.

Such pressure operation serves to close up the f grain. of lthe wood, and to increase lthe strength and resiliency of thedisc to a corresponding extent, the action of the dies upon the waxed surface of the-wood serving also to give a high polish thereto. The die forming the top face of the head is provided With a suitable design for impressing any desired lettering upon the disc, as is indicated, for exampleat 11 in Figs. 2 and 4. For the pressing operation, the .disc 10 is inserted upon which the maximum pressure is applied for forming a depression or socket 12 in the bottom face of the disc in centered position therein. The die forming the socket v12 is pressed directly along the grain of the disc, serving to uncover unwaxed portions of the Wood'at the side Wall portions of the socket, such side wall portions of unwaxed woodv being indicated in Fig. 2 by the numeral 13.

yThe die yftorming the socket 12 is of such shape as to provide a socket of a general clrcular conformation so as to receive the end ofv a cork 14 .fitted there-V in with the face portion of the cork in close prc ximity to the side Wall of the socket: The die is of such shapehowever, that it provides irregularities in the sidewall of the` socket with respect to such circular confor# mation so that the side Wall of the socket stands at certainfpoints in slightly spaced relation to the face of the cork. The arrangement is such `that when the cork 14 is inserted'with a suitable quantity of glue in the socket 12,'only a very thi-n film of glue can be present between the cork and the innermost portions of the unwaxed side Wall of the socket, while at intermediate portions considerably greater amounts of glue are re-y tained. Such intermediate greater portions of glue are adapted to harden in the form of ribs or keys which lit in the irregularities of the side Wall of the socket serving to prevent any tendency of the disc to turn with respect to the cork.

By reason of the fact that the irregularities in the 'side wall of the socket extend to the full depth of the socket, the keys or ribs of glue are aforded very strong adhesion with a comparatively great extent of un- Waxed wood at the series of points about the cork, in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to Il. In the form shown in Figui. the inwardly extending portions of unwaxed Wood defining the side Wall of the socket are rounded at their inner ends so as to ai'ord a more or less extended bearing or contact between by straight angled lines rather than by curved lines. In the disc 17 of Fig. 7, the inwardly extending portions are substantially in the form of square lugs separated by substantially square notches. In the disc 18 of Fig. B, the arrangement is the same as in Fig. 7, except that only a much smaller number of notches are employed, the greater-length of the lugs resulting in such lugs having circular inner faces rather than the square appearing inner faces of the construction shown in Fig. 7 Inasmuch as the operation and eifect of the discs as shown in Figs. 5 to 8 are the same' as those above described in connection with the disc of Figl 1, it is believed to be unnecessary to describe these constructions further. v

While I prefer to employ the construction as illustrated in the drawing and as above described, it will be understood that I do not limit the invention to the details of the forms shown except so far as claims may be so limited by the prior, art. i

1. As a new article of manufacture, a d isc of wood in which the grain runs axially and having a socket pressed directly along the grain lnto one face of the disc, such socket beo ing of a generally circular conformation with an enlargement beyond the true circular form defined at at least one end circumferentially of the socket by a comparatively abruptshoulder. i

i 2. A bottle stopper, comprising in combination a disc of wood having a facing of wax and provided With a socket in one facehaving an unwaxed side wall, anda cork secured by glue in said socket, said socket conform ing generally to the shape of the cork but having an enlargement at at least one point dened at one end by a comparatively abrupt shoulder against which a rib of hardened glue projecting outwardly from the cork `bears for resisting any tendency of thedisc to turn with respect to the cork.

3. A bottle stopper, comprising in combination a disc of Wood having a facing of Wax and provided in one face with a single depression of the general conformation of a. circle but having a series of irregularities in its side Wall, and a cork secured by glue in said depression and fitting closely therein at the innermost portions ofthe side Wall so as to permit the presence of only a thin film lo of glue between the cork and the Wall and rovided with a, series of outwardly extending ribs of hardened glue extending into the irregular portions o the side wall serving to resist any tendency of the disc to turn with respect to the cork.

A .HAROLD H. ELLIOTT. 

